2.02.2005
Buy Local, Think Global
Most of you probably do not know this about me, but I am a huge advocate and a more than occasional consumer of organic and locally grown food. Besides the obvious health benefits of eating foods without cancer causing antibiotics and pesticides, supporting organic / local farmers is just a down right decent thing to do. In fact, my favorite place in town that only carries such products is Local Harvest. Local Harvest advocates buying food grown and raised locally especially if the food is organic. They have established a priority for buying food from local small farmers and producers first and foremost, then concentrate on buying organic as available.
They have a program we are seriously considering joining called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Participating in a traditional CSA program enables consumers to reconnect with the land and their food supply through labor provided by the shareholders. CSA farming originated in Japan during the 1960s when a group of mothers started the first CSA program called Teikei in response to concerns about the rising cost of imported foods and the loss of arable land.
Buying locally through a CSA program also benefits both farmers and consumers by keeping dollars circulating through the local economy. If you think that it doesn’t make a difference where you spend your dollars, think again. For example, a recent study in Maine shows that shifting just 1% of consumer expenditures to direct purchasing of local food products would increase farmers’ income by 5%. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association estimates that by encouraging Maine residents to spend just $10 per week on local food, $100,000,000 will be invested back into farmer’s pockets and the Maine economy each growing season. By joining the Local Harvest CSA, you are becoming part of a movement that is making change for the better.
Just think of the impact we could have if we were to spend just $10 a week on our local farmers. This is a good thing to consider and an even better thing to support.
They have a program we are seriously considering joining called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Participating in a traditional CSA program enables consumers to reconnect with the land and their food supply through labor provided by the shareholders. CSA farming originated in Japan during the 1960s when a group of mothers started the first CSA program called Teikei in response to concerns about the rising cost of imported foods and the loss of arable land.
Buying locally through a CSA program also benefits both farmers and consumers by keeping dollars circulating through the local economy. If you think that it doesn’t make a difference where you spend your dollars, think again. For example, a recent study in Maine shows that shifting just 1% of consumer expenditures to direct purchasing of local food products would increase farmers’ income by 5%. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association estimates that by encouraging Maine residents to spend just $10 per week on local food, $100,000,000 will be invested back into farmer’s pockets and the Maine economy each growing season. By joining the Local Harvest CSA, you are becoming part of a movement that is making change for the better.
Just think of the impact we could have if we were to spend just $10 a week on our local farmers. This is a good thing to consider and an even better thing to support.
|| doug, 13:23
2 Comments:
Doug, I had no idea this existed. I'm pretty excited about it - I'll probably go check it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing! Jill
I don't think I've ever heard of it either... Thanks for letting us in on it.
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